San Jose Mercury News: At the heart of Apple, it's still the Mac

In his July 25, 2010 article at the San Jose Mercury News, John Boudreau, highlights that the Mac, despite all the buzz and attention given to Apple's iPhone and iPad, is still a key contributor to Apple's business. The article highlights Mac sales data recently reported by Apple in their Q3 2010 earnings report.

Boudreau not only provides his perspective on the Mac but he also highlights statements made from industry analysts.Statements of interest from the Article"But Apple's MacBook laptops, iMac desktops and low-end Mac mini desktops continue to represent a major portion of the Cupertino, Calif., company's business and innovative focus."

"Apple reported last week that second-quarter sales in its Mac unit soared 33 percent from the year before. Just recently, Apple quietly updated its Mac mini and entry-level MacBook. And a glance at the company's patent files indicates Apple's technologists continue to tinker with the Macintosh family of computers."

"There should be no talk about the demise of the Mac," said Richard Shim, research manager for IDC's personal-computing program. "Everyone is infatuated with the latest shiny object."

"But Apple continues to invest in its desktops and laptops, which had record sales in the most recent quarter."

"The Mac still represents the ultimate Apple experience," Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu said. "It's where it all started. It's still arguably the heart of the company."

"Macs have long been launching pads for features that have become core functions of the iPhone and iPad, including the Safari browser and the online iTunes store, which helped give birth to the App Store."

"The Mac operating system is also the foundation for both the iPhone and iPad."

"The popularity of the iPhone has only accelerated Mac sales further. "I'm certain the iPhone halo effect is stronger than the iPod, and that is starting to kick in," he added."